Means for collecting and transferring sheet material



' Jan. 16, 1968 D. N. OBENSHAIN 3,363,520

MEANS FOR COLLECTING AND TRANSFERRING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Oct. 21, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fly.

I 86 I T /B I I I I l I ACCUMULATOR ACCUMULATOR INVENTOR Dav/'0 Noe/ Ohms/20m BY if. M

ATTORNEY Jan. 16, 1968 D. N. OBENSHAIN MEANS FOR COLLECTING AND TRANSFERRING SHEET MATERIAL 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001;. 21, 1965 9Q .09 Fm INVENTOR Dav/d'lVoe/ Obensho/n ATTORNEY D. N. OBENSHAIN Jan. 16, 1968 MEANS FOR COLLECTING AND TRANSFERRING SHEET MATERIAL 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed 001;. 21, 1965 INVENTOR 00 via /V0e/ Obens/m/n ATTORNEY Jan. 16, 1968 D, OBENSHAlN 3,363,520

MEANS FOR COLLECTING AND TRANSFERRING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Oct. 21, 1965 Fig. 6 I

INVENTOR Dav/'0 Noel Obenshq/n 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 BY a. 44 v ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,363,520 MEANS FOR COLLECTING AND TRANS- FERRING SHEET MATERIAL David Noel Obenshain, Luke, Md., assignor to West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company, New York, N.Y.,

a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 499,900 9 Claims. (Cl. 93-93) This invention relates to novel means for collecting and transferring sheet material and, more particularly, to novel means for eliminating scratching of sheet material as the latter is being collected and transferred.

In my US. Patent 3,203,326, various collecting and transferring mechanisms are described. Sheets of paper are guided by mechanical collecting fingers to a collecting drum, and the sheets are collected in superimposed fashion on the grooved collecting drum. In one embodiment, mechanical stripping fingers remove the collected sheets from the collecting drum by reaching into the grooves in the drum, thereby stripping the collected sheets off the drum and guiding the sheets to a transfer drum. In another embodiment, the stripping fingers remove the collected sheets from the collecting drum and guide the sheets to a slowdown tape system. The present invention is an improvement upon the latter embodiment.

The collecting and transferring mechanisms of 3,203,- 326, have found great utility in the field of cutting, sorting, collecting and stacking high grade printing papers in one continuous operation. However, high grade printing papers are generally very glossy and may be damaged by scratching if they are not handled with great care. While my former collecting and transferring means have performed quite well, scratching of the finished paper surface has been a problem. The mechanical collecting and stripping fingers tend to scratch the paper as it passes over the fingers. While the problem may be reduced some by covering the fingers with substances such as nylon and Teflon, scratching is not altogether eliminated.

I have now found that means other than mechanical fingers can be utilized to guide sheets of paper onto a collecting drum and to strip sheets of paper from a collecting drum without damage to the fine printing surface of the paper. Such means take the form of a foraminous collecting drum having an air shower under its cylindrical surface for removing sheets .of paper from the drum, another air shower above the drum for guiding the paper onto the drum, and an air supply timing means for supplying air to the respective air showers at the proper time.

To aid in the understanding of my invention, references will be made to the following drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view of the preferred embodiment of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a view of the honeycomb surface of the preferred collecting drum of this invention.

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the preferred embodiment of this invention.

FIGURE 3A is a vertical section taken on line 3A3A of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 4 is an exploded view of the preferred air timing means of this invention.

FIGURE 5 is another embodiment of an air timing means of this invention.

FIGURE 6 is still another embodiment of an air timing means of this invention.

With reference to FIGURE 1, conveyor tapes 10 and 12, driven at a constant speed by suitable means not shown, cooperate to convey sheet material, such as paper, at spaced intervals to collecting drum 14, the peripheral speed of which is constant and identical to the speed of the conveyor tapes 10 and 12. Sheet 16, which has previously been severed from the leading end of a traveling web, is directed onto hollow and perforated collecting drum 14 by streams of air 20 and 21 which are emitted from air showers 18 and 19 upon the arrival of the leading end of sheet 16 at collecting drum 14. The air streams 20 and 21 direct the leading end of sheet 16 onto foraminous collecting drum 14 and between drum 14 and tapes 22. Sheet 16 is held onto drum 14, as the latter rotates, by tapes 22 which pass around pulleys 24, rolls 26, 28, 30, and 32, around pulleys 34 and around collecting drum 14 back to pulleys 24. Tapes 22 are driven .by engagement with drum 14 and thus run at the same constant speed as collecting drum 14.

In normal operation, four sheets are collected on drum 14, and as a fifth sheet approaches drum 14 via tapes 10 and 12, the leading ends of the four sheets on drum 14 are blown off drum 14 by an air stream 36 emitted at the proper time from air shower 38 and passing through the foraminous drum 14. The four sheets, together with the fifth sheet, form an even packet of five sheets which is conveyed first by tapes 10 and slowdown tapes 40, and then by slowdown tapes 40 and 42 away from drum 14 at the speed of drum 14. When the trailing end of the five sheet packet is clear of drum 14, tapes 40 and 42 then go through a slowdown-speedup cycle, first slowing down to deliver the five sheet packet to a receiving table where the paper is stacked, and then accelerating back to the speed of the drum 14 in time to accept the next five sheet packet.

Drum 14, as previously described, is a hollow drum, with an open honeycomb surface as shown in FIGURE 2. The surface is fabricated from metal strips 44 and 46, welded together to form a very rigid, open surface. Open surface or foraminous rolls of other types, such as drums perforated with punched or drilled holes, may also be used, but the honeycomb roll is preferred because of its structural strength and unrestricted large open area.

As best shown in FIGURE 3, foraminous collecting drum 14 is carried by means of hollow shafts 50 and 52 which are supported by means of bearings 54 and 56 on frame members 58 and 60. The main drive for drum 14 is supplied by drive means, not shown, via timing belt 57 to pulley 59 which is rigidly mounted on shaft 52. Pulley 62 is rigidly mounted on shaft 50 and drives, by means of timing belt 64, pulley 66 on valve shaft 68 which is supported by means of bearing 70 on frame member 58. Rotary timing valve 72 is carried on valve shaft 68 and rotary valve disc 74, which is mounted on shaft 68, revolves with shaft 68. Pulley 62, on shaft 50, drives pulley 66, on shaft 68, in a 5 to 1 ratio, and thus for every five revolutions of shaft 50 and drum 14, pulley 66, shaft 68, and rotary valve disc 74 make one revolution.

Also mounted on the frame members 58 and 60 are collecting air showers 18 and 19. Showers 18 and 19 are suitably mounted between air manifolds 8t) and 82 which are rigidly mounted on frame members 58 and 60 by suitable means, not shown. Manifold 82 is closed at 84 by pipe plug 85. Air, at the proper time, is supplied by rotary timing valve 72 to conduit 86 which connects the valve 72 with the air manifold 80. Showers 18 and 19 are perforated, as indicated by holes or jets 90 and 91 (FIGURE 3A) so that air may be emitted from the showers 18 and 19 and directed toward the outer periphery of drum 14. Showers 18 and 19 are identical in all respects, and the jets 91 of shower 19 are turned slightly from the vertical to correspond to the cylindrical periphery of the drum 14.

Hollow shafts 50 and 52 house feed pipe which is mounted onto frame members 58 and 60 by means of brackets 102 and 104 which are rigidly connected to frame members 58 and 60. Feed pipe 100 is closed at 101. Transfer shower 38 is carried on supports 106 and 108 which are suitably secured to supports 110 and 112, the latter supports being mounted on feed pipe 100. Air supply passages 114 and 116 are formed by means of nipples 118 and 120 secured to air shower 38, conduits 122 and 124, and nipples 126 and 128 whch are secured to feed pipe 100. Transfer shower 38 is perforated, as indicated by holes or jets 130, so that air may be emitted from shower 38 at the proper time to remove the collected paper from drum 14.

Air is supplied to feed pipe 100 from rotary timing valve 72 by means of conduit 132. The air then passes through pipe 100 to passages 114 and 116, and then to transfer shower 38, the holes or jets 130 of which are directed toward theinner surface of drum 14.

Collecting showers 18 and 19 are preferably made of stainless steel and are threaded on both ends and mounted on air manifolds 80 and 82 by means of adjusting nuts 140 and 142 and locking nuts 144 and 146. Feed pipe 100 also is preferably stainless steel. Conduits 122 and 124 preferably are Tygon tubing and are held to the nipples 118, 120, 126 and 128 by means of suitable hose clamps 150.

The preferred air timing means, a rotary timing valve, is best illustrated in FIGURE 4. The valve is comprised of inlet valve plate 152, rotary valve disc 74, outlet valve plate 154, and shaft 68. Rotary valve disc 74 is mounted for rotation on shaft 68 by means of key 156 on shaft 68 and slotted keyway 158 of disc 74. Inlet valve plate 152 has threaded assembly posts 153 thereon which pass through holes 159 in outlet valve plate 154 and receive springs 160, washers 162 and nuts 164 for assembling the rotary valve. Inlet valve plate 152 and outlet valve plate 154 are faced with low friction wear faces 155 and 157, such as nylon, Teflon, or brass, which are secured to the valve plates by any suitable means, such as adhesive or screws.

Rotary valve disc 74 is slotted at 170, 171, 172, 173, and 174. The rotational distance between slots 170 and 171, 171 and 172, 172 and 173 is equal, the centers of these slots being 72 apart, and each of these slots is located an equal radial distance from the center of disc 74. Slot 174 is also located 72 from slots 173 and 170, but is placed closer to the center of disc 74 than are the other slots just described.

Air is supplied to inlet valve plate 152 by means of conduits 180 and 182, accumulators 184 and 186, pressure regulators 188 and 190, and main air supply 192 (FIGURE 1). Air accumulators 184 and 186 have been found desirable in order to supply a large amount of air to the valve 72 for short intervals of time, and to minimize any surges in the air supply. Thus, air passes from accumulator 184 through conduit 180 to inlet valve plate 152. When a slot 170, 171, 172 or 173 becomes aligned with port 194 in inlet valve plate 152 and wear face 155 by rotation of disc 74, air passes through the slot and then through outlet valve plate 154 to conduit 86 which connects with the collecting showers 18 and 19 (FIGURE 3). Each time aslot 170, 171, 172 or 173 becomes aligned with port 194, air passes through the rotary valve 72 to the collecting showers 18 and 19.

From FIGURE 4, it it seen that slot 174 becomes aligned periodically with port 196 in inlet valve plate 152 and wear face 155 by rotation of disc 74. Air then passes from accumulator 186 through conduit 182 to inlet valve plate 152, through rotary valve 72 to conduit 132 which connects with the transfer shower 38.

From the above, it is also seen that for every revolution of disc 74, air is supplied four times to collecting showers 18 and 19 and once to transfer shower 38.

In actual operation, the leading edge of a sheet of paper arrives at the drum 14 just as a slot in disc 74, such as 170, becomes aligned with port 194 in inlet valve plate 152. Air is thus supplied to the collecting air showers 18 and 19 and is emitted from the showers for as long as slot 178 is aligned with port 194. The air,

which is emitted from the jets and 91 of showers 18 and 19 in the form of a short blast, forces the leading edge of the sheet of paper, such as sheet 16 in FIGURE 1, onto the drum 14 and between the drum 14 and tapes 22. Since drum 14 turns five revolutions for every revolution of disc 74, as previously explained, the leading edge of the next successive sheet of paper arrives at the drum 14 just as slot 171 becomes aligned with port 194 in inlet valve plate 152. This sheet is also forced onto drum 14 by the air streams 20 and 21 emitted from showers 18 and 19, respectively, and the sheet is superimposed in exact registry on sheet 16 which was previously placed on the drum 14. As slots 172 and 173 become aligned with port 194, two more sheets of paper are placed in superimposed fashion on the two sheets already collected on drum 14.

The leading edge of a fifth sheet of paper arrives at drum 14 just as slot 174 becomes aligned with port 196, and air passes through valve 72, conduit 132, feed pipe 100, passages 114 and 116, to transfer shower 38. Air is emitted from jets of shower 38 in the form of a blast which lasts for as long as slot 174 is coincident with port 196. The air stream 36 emitted from transfer shower 38 forces the four sheet packet off drum 14 and between tapes 10 and 40 which carry the four sheets and the fifth sheet which has been superimposed thereon, away from the drum 14 as a five sheet packet. The five sheet packet is then taken by tapes 40 and 42 which go through a programmed deceleration to deposit the packet at a receiving station and then the tapes accelerate to the speed of the drum 14 in time to accept the next accumulated packet of sheets.

Means other than a rotary air timing valve may be used to properly time the fiow of air to the collecting and transferring air showers. For example, a poppet type valve as shown in FIGURE 5 may be employed.

Cam 200 is mounted on shaft 68 in place of valve 72 (FIGURE 3), and cam 200 makes one revolution for every five revolutions of drum 14. The rotational distance between lobes 202 and 204, 204 and 206, 206 and 208 is 72, and the rotational distance between lobe 208 and 202 is 144.

A collecting shower valve 210 is suitably mounted above cam 200 and has two air passages 212 and 214 which are generally closed with respect to each other by poppet valve 216. A cam roller 218 is rotatably mounted on the end of valve stem 220 and is spring loaded by means of spring 222. Cam roller 218 rides on cam 200.

The timing of the valve 210 is such that a lobe passes under roller 218 just as the leading edge of a sheet of paper arrives at drum 14. A lobe, such as 202, forces poppet valve 216 to rise to the dotted position 217 and thus open the passages 212 and 214 to each other. Air from an accumulator, such as 184 in FIGURE 1, passes through conduit 180, passages 212 and 214, and conduit 86 which connects with collecting showers 18 and 19 as previously described. Air is emitted from showers 18 and 19 in the form of blasts which direct the sheet of paper onto drum 14 as described above in connection with the rotary air timing valve 72. Three more sheets are directed onto drum 14 in superimposed fashion with the first sheet on the drum, as the lobes 204, 206 and 208 force poppet valve 216 to open and supply air to the collecting showers 18 and 19.

.As is noted from FIGURE 5, a second cam is provided which has only a single lobe 224. This cam is also carried on shaft 68 and is disposed in relation to cam 200 such that lobe 224 is spaced at 72 from each of lobes 208 and 202 of cam 200. A transfer shower poppet type valve, identical to the collecting shower valve 210 above described, is also provided. Lobe 224 opens the transfer shower valve and air passes from accumulator 186 through conduit 182, through the transfer shower valve and conduit 132 to transfer shower 38 to remove the four sheets which have previously been collected on drum 14.

The four sheets are removed from drum 14 by the air blast from transfer shower 38 just as the leading edge of a fifth sheet of paper arrives at drum 14. Thus a five sheet packet is conveyed away from drum 14 by tapes and 40 as previously described.

Another type of valve that may be employed to properly time the air supplied to showers 18, 19 and 38 is a solenoid valve as shown in FIGURE 6. Cam 240 is mounted on shaft 68 in place of valve 72 (FIGURE 3), and cam 240 makes one revolution for every five revolutions of drum 14. Cam 240 has lobes 242, 244, 246, and 248 which are spaced 72 apart except for lobes 248 and 242 which are 144 apart.

A collecting shower solenoid valve 250 is suitably mounted above earn 243 and has an air inlet conduit 180 and an air outlet conduit 86 which are normally closed with respect to each other. A microswitch 256 is provided with a cam roller 258 which rides on cam 240. Switch 256 and solenoid valve 250 are suitably connected to a source of electrical energy by leads 252, 253, and 254.

The timing of cam 240 is identical to the timing of cam 200 described above in connection with FIGURE 5. When a lobe, such as 242, passes under roller 258, switch 256 is closed and energizes solenoid valve 250, thereby opening the air conduits 180 and 86 to each other and supplying air to the collecting showers 18 and 19. Thus, lobes 242, 244, 246, and 248 energize valve 250 and thereby supply air blasts for placing four sheets of paper on drum 14 in superimposed fashion.

Another cam, microswitch and valve arrangement, identical to the ones just described, are provided for supplying air to the transfer shower 38. This cam, also mounted on shaft 68, has one lobe 260 which is spaced at 72 from each of lobes 248 and 242. Lobe 260 opens the transfer shower valve by closing the associated microswitch, and air is supplied to transfer shower 38 in proper time to remove the four sheets previously collected on drum 14. The four sheets are removed from drum 14 as the leading edge of a fifth sheet arrives at drum 14, and a five sheet packet is conveyed away from drum 14 by tapes 10 and 40.

From the above description, it can be seen that sheets of paper, or other material, can be collected and transferred by means other than mechanical fingers. With the system just described, all mechanical elements which come into contact with the sheet material during collecting and transferring are moving at the speed of the sheet material, and thus scratching, due to moving the sheet material over stationary devices, is eliminated.

Two collecting showers 18 and 19 have been described as the preferred embodiment of this invention. However, a single shower has been used successfully, and more than two showers may be employed when needed to properly control the sheet material. Likewise, two or more showers may be used inside the drum 14 when desirable.

It can be seen from the above that I have provided a novel collecting and transferring system which comprises a foraminous drum for collecting sheet material thereon, at least one air shower located above the drum for directing sheet material onto the drum, an air shower under the surface of the drum for removing sheet material from the drum, and timing means for supplying air to the respective showers at the proper time. The novel collecting and transferring means finds great utility in the field of sheeting fine papers, but may also be used in sheeting operations on other materials, such as plastics and foils. The novel collecting and transferring means herein described may also be used in conjunction with printing presses to collect and transfer printed materials received from the presses.

While certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be understood that many variations and modifications could be made by one versed in the art all within the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a sheet collecting and transferring mechanism comprising, in combination, a foraminous drum for collecting individual sheets thereon one after another and for accumulating the sheets in a registered packet, first air shower means disposed above said drum for guiding the individual sheets onto said drum, second air shower means disposed within said drum for removing the accumulated sheets from said drum, and air supply timing means associated with said first and said second air shower means for supplying air to said first and said second air shower means.

2. In a sheet collecting and transferring mechanism as set forth in claim 1 in which said first air shower means is spaced from the outer periphery of said foraminous drum and directs air currents against the individual sheets to guide said sheets onto said drum.

3. In a sheet collecting and transferring mechanism as set forth in claim 1 in which said second air shower means is spaced from the inner periphery of said foraminous drum and directs air currents through said foraminous drum to force the accumulated sheets off said drum.

4. In a sheet collecting and transferring mechanism as set forth in claim 1 in which said air supply timing means is connected to said first and said second air shower means and supplies air periodically to one of said first and said second ai-r shower means.

5. A sheet collecting and transferring mechanism comprising, in combination, sheet conveying means, a foraminous collecting drum for receiving individual sheets one after another from the sheet conveying means and for accumulating the sheets in a registered packet, first air shower means spaced from the outer periphery of said drum for directing the individual sheets onto said drum, second air shower means within said drum for forcing the accumulated sheets off said drum, and air supply timing means connecting a source of air with said first and said second air shower means for supplying air to one of said first and said second air shower means at predetermined times.

6. A sheet collecting and transferring mechanism as set forth in claim 5 in which said air supply timing means supplies air periodically to said first air shower means in timed relation to the arrival of individual sheets at said foraminous drum to provide an air blast from said first air shower means which guides the individual sheets onto said drum, and said air supply timing means supplies air periodically to said second air shower means to provide an air blast from said second air shower means which is directed through said foraminous drum and forces the accumulated sheets off said drum in timed relation to the arrival of the leading edge of a subsequent sheet at said drum.

7. A sheet collecting and transferring mechanism as set forth in claim 5 in which said sheet conveying means runs at a constant speed and said foraminous collecting drum rotates at a peripheral speed substantially equal to the speed of said sheet conveying means.

8. A sheet collecting and transferring mechanism as set forth in claim 7 in which cooperative tapes have active runs bearing in part against said collecting drum for holding the accumulatedsheets on said drum.

9. A sheet collecting and transferring mechanism comprising, in combination, a constant speed sheet conveying means, a hollow, foraminous collecting drum rotating at a peripheral speed substantially equal to the speed of the sheet conveying means, said collecting drum constructed and arranged to receive individual sheets one after another from the convey-ing means and to accumulate the sheets in a registered packet, cooperative tapes running at the speed of the collecting drum and having active runs which bear in part against said collecting drum for holding the collected sheets on said drum, first air shower means spaced from the outer periphery of said collecting drum and having jets directed toward said collecting drum periphery, second air shower means Within said collecting drum and having jets directed toward the inner periphery of said collecting drum, rotary air supply timing means connecting to a constant source of air, first conduit means connecting said timing means with said first air shower means, second conduit means connecting said timing means with said second air shower means, and timing means supplying air periodically to said first air shower means in timed relation with the arrival of the leading edges of individual sheets at the collecting drum, to provide air blasts from the jets of said first air shower means for directing the leading edges of the individual sheets in succession onto the collecting drum to form a registered packet of sheets thereon, said air supply timing means supplying air periodically to said second air shower means to provide an air blast from the jets and said second air shower means which is directed through said foraminous collecting drum to remove the packet of sheets from said collecting drum in timed relation with the arrival of the leading edge of a subsequent individual sheet at said collecting drum.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS BERNARD STICKNEY, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,363,520 January 16, 1968 David Noel Obenshain ears in the above numbered pat- It is hereby certified that error app d Letters Patent should read as ent requiring correction and that the sai corrected below,

Column 5, line 63, for "The" read This column 7 line 7 for "and" read said column 8, line 2, for "and" read of Signed and sealed this 25th day of February 1969.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

1. IN A SHEET COLLECTING AND TRANSFERRING MECHANISM COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A FORAMINOUS DRUM FOR COLLECTING INDIVIDUAL SHEETS THEREON ONE AFTER ANOTHER AND FOR ACCUMULATING THE SHEETS IN A REGISTERED PACKET, FIRST AIR SHOWER MEANS DISPOSED ABOVE SAID DRUM FOR GUIDING THE INDIVIDUAL SHEETS ONTO SAID DRUM, SECOND AIR SHOWER MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID DRUM FOR REMOVING THE ACCUMULATED SHEETS FROM SAID DRUM, AND AIR SUPPLY TIMING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND AIR SHOWER MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AIR TO SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND AIR SHOWER MEANS. 